Set during the vibrant summer of 1985, *Red Oaks* follows David Meyers, a mild-mannered New York University student and
aspiring filmmaker, who takes a job as a tennis assistant at the exclusive Red Oaks Country Club in New Jersey. Feeling pressured by his father, Sam, to pursue a stable career in accounting, and recently dumped by his insecure college girlfriend, Karen, David uses the club as an escape to figure out his true passions and future.At Red Oaks, David forms a close bond with the eccentric, seasoned head tennis pro, Nash, who encourages him to follow his creative dreams. David also catches the eye of Skye Livingston, a fiercely independent, rebellious art history student and the daughter of the club's wealthy, imposing president, Doug Livingston. Despite Doug’s initial disapproval and Skye’s skepticism of the country club elite, David and Skye embark on a passionate romance that pushes David out of his comfort zone and exposes him to a world of wealth and bohemian ideals.Meanwhile, the lives of the club’s members and staff intertwine in dramatic and often comedic ways. David’s father, Sam, suffers a massive heart attack that prompts a mid-life awakening. After recovering, Sam shockingly confesses his repressed homosexuality to his wife, Judy, leading to a painful divorce that shatters the family dynamic and forces David to emotionally support both of his struggling parents. Simultaneously, Judy embarks on her own journey of self-discovery, exploring her independence and dating later in life.Other key figures at the club navigate their own turbulent desires. Wheeler, David’s slacker best friend and fellow club employee, pursues a hapless romance with the club’s aerobics instructor, Misty. Meanwhile, the charismatic and predatory club president, Doug, faces personal and financial crises that threaten his seemingly untouchable status, even as he has a brief, scandalous affair with Judy Meyers.As the series progresses, David struggles to balance his loyalty to his
fractured family with his ambitions in the burgeoning indie film scene. By the final season, which jumps forward in time through the late 1980s, David finally takes bold risks with his career, moving to Los Angeles to direct music videos and indie features. After various romantic entanglements and existential detours, David and Skye ultimately find their way back to one another, choosing an uncertain but liberating future together. Ultimately, *Red Oaks* captures a nostalgic, bittersweet coming-of-age journey against the backdrop of 1980s suburban excess, where characters must reconcile the lives they are expected to lead with the desires burning in their hearts.